Tests of continuous beams were conducted to investigate maximum longitudinal reinforcement limits (currently expressed in terms of net tensile strain) and moment redistribution at that limit. The following hypothesis was tested:

Nominally identical continuous beams, one with nearly the maximum amount of conventional Gr.60 longitudinal reinforcement allowed in current design practices [ACI 318-14 (2014)] and the other with a quantity of high-strength reinforcing bars reduced in proportion to increase in yield stress, have comparable strengths. The beams have similar strengths even if redistribution of moments takes place to reach stated strengths.

These tests were conducted to:

1. compare behavior of beams with conventional reinforcement and reduced amounts of HSSR at the maximum reinforcement limit,
2. investigate strength and deformation capacity of beams with small sectional ductility ratios,
3. re-evaluate the importance of sectional curvature ductility (or net tensile strain),
4. study what parameters other than sectional curvature ductility control the mode of failure or element toughness.

This dataset consists of a total of 6 experiments: 

Set-1 consisted of 3 continuous beams with nominal width=18 in. and nominal depth= 30 in.

Set-2 consisted of 4 continuous beams with nominal width=14 in. and nominal depth= 20 in. 

The main variable within each set was the quantity and grade of longitudinal reinforcing bars.

Gr. 60, 100, and 120 longitudinal reinforcement was used.

All transverse reinforcement was made of Gr. 60 deformed bars. 

All specimens were designed to reach a strain between 0.005 and 0.006 in the outermost layer of tension steel at a design concrete limiting strain of 0.003.

Organization of this dataset:

This dataset consists of 6 experiments and each experiment corresponds to the test of one continuous beam.

Each experiment is assigned an ID
(ex: B1-60, B2-100) where B1 and B2 represent Set-1 and Set-2 and 60 and 100 represent the nominal yield stress of the longitudinal reinforcement in that specimen. 

DRAWINGS consist of: Cross-sections of specimens, reinforcement details, test-setup, instrumentation layout, and Optotrak sensors locations.

PHOTOS/VIDEOS consist of all media for each experiment.

DATA consists of processed data from the instruments shown in the instrumentation layout and the Optical Tracking System. 

PARAMETERS consists of key properties for each experiment including material properties, reinforcement quantities, and nominal strengths. 

Additional data related to the experiments may be found in the report. 

[ This dataset was last updated on 5/22/2018. Processed data from the experiments shall be added in the near future.]

• Aishwarya Y. Puranam, Santiago Pujol (2018), "Tests of Continuous Beams with Large Reinforcement Ratios," https://datacenterhub.org/deedsdv/publications/view/416.